Waste management plan: how to write one for your business
A waste management plan is a short document that sets out what waste a business produces, how each type is handled and how the amount will be cut. It starts with a waste audit. A good plan lowers the waste bill and shows that the business is meeting its legal duties.
Waste management plan: key facts
| What it is | A record of your waste, how it is handled and how you will reduce it |
|---|---|
| First step | A waste audit: what you throw away, how much and what it costs |
| Legal duty | Every business must apply the waste hierarchy and keep waste transfer notes for two years |
| Building sites | A site waste management plan has not been required by law in England since 2013, but many clients still ask for one |
| Review | At least once a year |
Step 1: carry out a waste audit
A waste audit shows what is really in your bins. For one or two weeks, record this for each bin.
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The type of waste | Shows what could be recycled or sold |
| The weight or number of bins | Gives you a figure to improve on |
| Where it was produced | Shows which part of the business to change |
| Where it goes now | Landfill, energy recovery or recycling |
| What it costs | Shows where the savings are |
Step 2: apply the waste hierarchy
The law requires every business to apply the waste hierarchy when it deals with waste. Take each type of waste from your audit and choose the highest option you can.
- Prevent. Buy less and waste less.
- Reuse. Use it again, repair it or pass it on.
- Recycle. Separate it so that it can be made into something new.
- Recover. Burn what is left to make energy.
- Dispose. Landfill, as the last resort.
Step 3: write the waste management plan
Keep it to a page or two. It should cover these points.
- Each type of waste, the amount and the cost, from your audit.
- A target for each, such as halving general waste within a year.
- The containers you will use and where they will stand.
- Who collects each type, with their waste carrier registration number.
- Who in the business is responsible.
- How staff will be told and trained.
- Where the waste transfer notes are kept.
- The date of the next review.
Step 4: put it to work and review it
Label the bins, brief your staff and check the bins after a month. Compare the weights and the bill with your audit. Materials that you now separate in volume, such as cardboard, plastic film and metal, can be sold. See the current prices for recyclable materials, and read our guides to commercial recycling and business waste collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is a waste management plan?
A document that records the waste a business produces, how each type is stored, collected and treated, and the targets for reducing it.
What is a waste audit?
A check of what a business throws away. You record the type, amount, source and cost of the waste over a week or two, to see what can be prevented, recycled or sold.
Is a waste management plan a legal requirement?
Not for most businesses. The law does require every business to apply the waste hierarchy and keep waste transfer notes, and a plan is the simplest way to show that you do.
Is a site waste management plan still required?
Not by law in England, where the rule was removed in 2013. Clients, planning conditions and building standards often still require one on construction projects.
What is the waste hierarchy?
An order of priority for dealing with waste: prevent, reuse, recycle, recover energy and, last, dispose. Businesses must apply it by law.